Man in court over delivery driver murder

Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, from Sheffield, died as he tried to stop a thief stealing his van

A man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a delivery driver killed in Leeds earlier this week.

Claudiu-Carol Kondor, 42, was left fatally injured on Heights Drive in the Wortley area of the city on Tuesday evening, after he had tried to stop a thief stealing the van he was driving.

Mark Ross, 32, appeared at Leeds Magistrates' Court on Friday charged with murder.

Mr Ross, of Conference Road in Armley, spoke only to confirm his name and address during the brief hearing and was remanded in custody to appear at Leeds Crown Court on 27 August.

Mr Kondor, who was from Sheffield, was believed to have been delivering an Amazon package to an address on Alliance Street in Armley at around 18:50 BST on Tuesday when he found someone trying to steal the vehicle.

Police at the scene in Heights Drive on Wednesday morning

According to police, Mr Kondor was left hanging out of the passenger door as the van made off, before it crashed into parked cars around half-a-mile away, leaving him lying on the road.

Despite receiving emergency treatment from medics at the scene, he was later pronounced dead.

The van was later found abandoned in the Belle Isle area of Leeds, around six miles away.

A 24-year-old man who was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of murder, remained in custody, West Yorkshire Police said.

A woman who was arrested at the same time on suspicion of assisting an offender has been released under investigation.

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